All about life and living.

Month: May 2009

It was one of those really chilled vacations.. so chilled in fact, that we were even too lazy to take photographs.

Pondicherry is the kind of place where I’d like to live, actually both Appapappa and I agree on this one. Its small enough and feels very neighbourhoody – you know, like the waiters at the cafes know you since you come around almost every other day for coffee kind of feel. And its cosmopolitan inspite of being small town India – a mix that I have not found so far in any other Indian town. Appapappa asked me what other Indian town came close – I would say maybe some of the hill-stations, because of the Anglo-Indian crowd, and some of the British-Raj cultural remnants. But Pondicherry is clearly different – it feels like the “white” city and the “brown city” are co-existing, and neither is deteriorating, unlike in the hill-stations where the crowd and chaos are closing in on the once exclusive areas.

Driving around in a two-wheeler was a pleasure in itself we had not known in a long time – not since N was born. So this time, we sandwiched her between the two of us on a Kinetic and explored Pondicherry for 4 whole days, roaming like the vagabonds that we are, and that we seldom have a chance to be. We ate idli-dosa-appams etc for breakfast, south indian thali for lunch, and French food with wine for dinner. Interspersed with either SIFC ( South Indian Filter Coffee) or Cappuccino ( in my case) and Espresso ( for Appapappa).

The Park Guest House was perfect, sea-facing rooms, and a large garden where I could do Yoga in the mornings and N could look at the tadpoles and fish in the pond. A great place to explore the rest of the town – the Alliance Francais right opposite, the Ashram a short ride away, the promenade right out the front gate, and the French town very walkable, so we could easily explore all the heritage buildings that had been converted into hotels.

So Appapappa, excitable as he is, is already on the lookout for jobs in Pondicherry. Except that the software scene there is not great, so I am not sure what he is going to do there. Maybe make SIFC in a vesti? ( he bought one there, and lounged about happily in avesti and ganji in the guest house, looking like a pucca Anna).

I do sympathise with people in flights who are not travelling with kids and land in close proximity of other people’s kids, but this one goes to the extreme .

“Ahem, i’m going to have a glass of wine and take a nap please, and the rest of the world can you stand by in case I need you”, kind of attitude, that kind of irked me, so I had to write this. Read on…

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Dear Aunty,

I’m sorry, but you are okay if I call you that? Or maybe I will call you “evil witch”. Your face looks like the long, thin, angry face of the witch in my Roald dahl witch book. Are you going to a witches convention like in the book, and your nice straight hair is actually a wig and you are patchily bald underneath? Yugghhh…

Why do you sit so stiffly in your seat? Has somebody glued you onto the seat? I am wondering. But anyhow, I dont understand whats that swirly drink that looks like its made of mud? Here – have some juice – what happenned? why did you remove your leg in fright – i only put the juice box on it? and why are you furiously rubbing the tissue on the spot where i just kept the juice box? WEIRDO.

Are you enjoying the paper you are reading, the one with those pictures of straight lines that do strangely up and down, as much as I am enjoying Madagascar? I really love this.. Ha ha ha.. look at those guys dancing.. go go go… what?? i shouldnt dance on my seat? WHY? its so much fun.

Okay, if you dont like to watch the cartoon, then how about playing with my doll? why are you staring and frowning at the little black thing in your hand ( i know it is a mobile phone, dont think i’m not smart)? My doll talks a lot… does that black thing talk?

You are feeling sleepy? Why? Don’t you sleep at night, like me? I play a lot and then i sleep a lot too. But this is not my nap time, it is my play time.

What are you going to do when you reach XX? I am going to meet my cousins at the beach, and then play with them for 2 weeks because they are having summer holidays? What? You are going to a beach too? But then, why aren’t you glad about it? Oh. wait a bit. i like this part, dont disturb me.